This invention generally relates to the art of connector assemblies, such as fiber optic connector assemblies, electrical connector assemblies and the like.
Connector assemblies, whether they are fiber optic connector assemblies or electrical connector assemblies, often include a pair of mating plug and receptacle connectors, sometimes called male and female connectors. The connectors typically include dielectric housings which terminate the optical fibers or electrical wires. The housings most often are molded of dielectric plastic material. The molded plastic housings of the respective mating connectors often include some form of integrally molded latching means to hold the two connectors in mated condition.
For instance, one of the mating connectors typically includes a flexible latch arm molded integrally with the connector housing for engaging a latch boss, recess or the like on the housing of the other mating connector. The latch arm is of a cantilevered configuration. Therefore, the housing must be fabricated of a plastic material which provides sufficient resiliency so that the latch arm can flex during repeated mating and unmating of the connector assembly.
Unfortunately, the flexibility of the plastic material for the housing with the flexible latch arm has disadvantages where plastic flexibility is not desired. For instance, the housing may also be used to mount or contain an operative component of the connector assembly. In a fiber optic connector assembly, one of the connectors may mount a photodiode or light-emitting diode in a cavity in the housing in-line with the optical fiber of the mating connector. This optical element often is press-fit into a cavity in the housing and held rigidly in position without extraneous retaining means. In fact, the housing may be heated to enable the component to be press-fit into the cavity. Unfortunately, if the housing is fabricated of flexible plastic material, such as a housing with a flexible latch arm, the housing may be deformed by forcing the component into its cavity and even be permanently deformed if heat is applied thereto.
The present invention is directed to solving this dilemma and related problems by providing a multi-part housing with one part of a given resilient plastic material having a resilient latch portion, along with a second housing part having a more rigid plastic material sufficient for receiving and retaining an operative component of the connector assembly.
An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a new and improved connector assembly of the character described.
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the connector assembly includes a multi-part housing for mating with a complementary connecting device. The housing has a first housing part of a first, resilient plastic material and includes a resilient latch portion for latching engagement with the complementary connecting device. The housing has a second housing part of a second plastic material having less resiliency than the first plastic material and including a cavity for receiving and retaining an operative component of the connector assembly.
Generally, the second plastic material has a greater amount of filler than the first plastic material. The second plastic material, thereby, has a lesser coefficient of linear expansion than the first plastic material, and the second plastic material has a higher elastic modulus than the first plastic material.
Specifically, the first plastic material has a glass fiber filler and the second plastic material has a carbon filler. The glass fiber filler may be on the order of 15%, by weight, of the content of the first plastic material. The carbon filler may be on the order of 40%, by weight, of the content of the second plastic material. The first and second plastic materials may be of polybutylene terephthalate resin material.